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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · calf · capital · plane · pop · rock · dip · temple

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — a tool
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pop — to visit
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com